Emory Law Mock Trial Society

Congratulations to our TNT III Team who competed at the University of South Carolina! This was a unique competition that featured three parties - 1 Plaintiff and 2 Defendants. The team consisted of 2L David Alden (Plaintiff/Defendant 2), 2L Brian Burns, 2L Martin Berg, 2L Jordan Mahan (Defendant 1/2), 2L Sara Sacks (Plaintiff/Defendant 1), Witnesses Lane Cannon and Aryssa Mansfield, and Coaches Rhani Lott Choi and Jerry Mason. We are so proud of this incredible team for all of their hard work. 2L Jordan Mahan even won Outstanding Advocate! Go Team!

Meet Morgan McGee! ✨ Coming from St. Augustine, FL, Morgan attended University of Nebraska-Lincoln and majored in Global Studies with minors in Russian and Geography. As well as being a member of this year’s MLK and AAJ Teams, she’s the Treasurer of the American Constitution Society and the Co-Founder and Co-President of the Disabled Law Student Association. Morgan mocks because she hopes to improve her public speaking and litigation skills and, of course, have fun! We are so happy to have you, Morgan! ⚖

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Meet Sara Sacks! ✨ Coming from Coastal Mississippi, Sara attended Millsaps College and majored in Media Studies. As well as being a member of this year’s MLK and TNT III Teams, she’s a member of EPIC and OUTLaw. Sara mocks because it’s one of the best ways to earn practical experience in law school. She also thinks it's super fun and loves competing with her teammates! We are so happy to have you, Sara! ⚖

Interested in joining Emory Law's Award-Winning Mock Trial Society? 🏆 This information session will give you an of what it's like to be on the Mock Trial Team - from competition to social events. You don't want to miss it!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Director in Chief, Monica Hess at [email protected]!

Congratulations to our 2023-2024 Executive Board! 🎊

Thank you to our previous Exec. Board for setting an incredible example. This organization wouldn't be what it is without you!

Meet Kathryn Scott! ✨ Coming from New York City, Kathryn attended Brown University and majored in History. As well as being a member of this year’s PJJ and Ethics Teams, she’s a member of the Emory Corporate & Business Law Society. Kathryn competed in Mock Trial in college and has been hooked ever since. She mocks because she loves the collaboration, performative aspects of trial and the puzzle of putting together a case in chief. We are so happy to have you, Kathryn! ⚖

✨⚖️ Meet Jordan Mahan! Jordan is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and majored in Political Science at Reinhardt University. As well as being a member of our Trials and Tribulations Team, she is the President of Emory Law's Criminal Law Society. She mocks because it's the most fun you can have in law school, and it's good experience for litigation. She's been a mocker since high school, and does a great job of it. Welcome to ELS Mock Trial family, Jordan! ⚖️ ✨

Congratulations to our National Trial Competition teams who competed in their regional tournament last weekend in Macon, Georgia! 3L T.L. Robinson and 2L Martin Berg were coached by Emory alums Christy Lambden and Will Fowler. 3Ls Madison Dodge and Kayla Rotton McLendon, who advanced to the semi-finals, were coached by 13L Drew Healy and 14L Kate Sandlin. Incredible job, team!

✨⚖️ Meet Melanie Magwood! Coming from South Carolina, Melanie majored in Criminal Justice at Clemson University. As well as being a member of our AAJ team this semester, she's Vice President of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), a volunteer with Know Your Rights, an extern with the DeKalb District Attorney office, a DAPP National Scholar, and the Newly Elected Regional Director for the Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial Competition for the National BLSA - Southern Region. She mocks because it enables her to hone her trial advocacy and public speaking skills, and wants to pursue a career in policy and criminal law. Melanie was also the Defense Opener on last semester's champion Daniel Team! Welcome to the ELS Mock Trial family, Melanie! ✨⚖️

✨⚖️ National Champions! 3L Eliza del Carmen and 3L Sarah Leflar WON the John L. Costello National Criminal Trial Advocacy Competition, hosted by George Mason University - Antonin Scalia Law School. Coached by Markowitz Elizabeth, Team Gold took home the gold! Eliza del Carmen won an additional award for Best Oral Advocate. Congratulations! ⚖️✨

✨⚖️ Meet Alaiya Kollie! She's a 2L from Los Angelous, California, and a graduate of the illustrious Clark Atlanta University. After graduating from college as a Political Science major, she came to Emory Law, where she's the Co-Director of Alumni Relations for BLSA (Black Law Students Association), a member of TI:GER (Technological Innovation: Generating Economic Results), and a Kaplan Bar Prep representative. She mocks because "it's the space in law school that reassures me that the legal profession is for me," and because of the bonds she's made with her teammates. Welcome to the team, Alaiya! We're lucky to have you. ⚖️✨

National Champions! This weekend, students on Emory Law's Mock Trial Team (2L Brian Burns, 2L Nikki Nicole Hurtado, 3L Kayla Rotton McLendon, 3L Jadyn Taylor, 3L Sarah Leflar, 2L Karian Chard and 2L Melanie Magwood) competed in and won the William W. Daniel National Mock Trial Competition. They went up against University of South Carolina in the final round and ended with a 5-0 record. Georgia Supreme Court Justice Shawn Ellen LaGrua judged the final round.
Thank you to coaches Lauren Thrasher and Liz Markowitz for all the hours they put into building up the team. And thank you to Georgia State University College of Law for hosting an amazing competition.
Congratulations team! ⚖️✨

✨⚖️ Meet Nikki Hurtado! Nikki is a 2L from Miami, Florida, and she graduated from the University of Miami with a double major in Sports Administration and Community Psychology. In addition to being a member of our Daniels Team, Nikki is the President of the Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA), the Student Body Association's University Senate Representative, the Vice President of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society, the 2L House Coordinator for the Sweet Auburn House, and an extern at Kids In Need of Defense (KIND). Her career goal is to become a civil litigator, and she mocks to gain the skills necessary to be successful in that. Also as a former competitive dancer, she loves competing with a team. Welcome to the ELS Mock Family, Nikki! ⚖️✨

✨⚖️ Meet All-Star Alumni Nancy Jin! She's a Marylander, and graduated from University of Maryland, College Park. While in college, she did undergraduate mock trial! In 2021, Nancy received Emory Law's Kessler-Eidson Trial Techniques Scholarship, and she graduated with honors in 2022. She currently works as a Litigation Fellow with the AARP Foundation. ⚖️✨

✨⚖️ Meet Monica Hess! Monica is a 2L who graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in political science. In addition to being a stellar member of our Mock Trial team, she is the Deputy Prosecutor for Emory Law's Conduct Court, and she externed for the US Attorney's Office during her 1L summer. She competed in Mock Trial in undergrad, and she continues to mock because it's a good opportunity for improving public speaking skills, litigation skills, and making great friends. A fun fact: she's already won an award for ELS Mock Trial at the PJJ Memorial Civil Rights Competition. Welcome to the team Monica! We're lucky to have you. ⚖️✨

✨⚖️ Two competitions in one weekend! 3Ls Eliza del Carmen and Trey Robinson and 2Ls Danielle Bell and David Alden competed in Georgetown's White Collar Crime Invitational in Washington, D.C. Great job, team! ⚖️✨

✨🎃 Time for Meet the Mocker - Halloween Edition! Karian Chard, from Plano Texas, is an alumnae of University of Texas, Austin, where she majored in Government. Besides Mock Trial, she's involved with the Emory Public Interest Committee, the DeKalb Public Defender's Office, the Georgia Re-Entry Project, and Street Law. Karian mocks to gain practical experience and confidence in public speaking, and her favorite legal movie is Legally Blonde. Welcome to the team, Karian! 🎃✨

✨⚖️ Last weekend, our Peter Johnson National Civil Rights team competed in New York! 2L Monica Hess, 3L Kendall Kelly, 3L Harold Britton, and 2L Kathryn Scott competed in the Peter James Johnson '49 National Civil Rights Trial Competition. Special shout-out to Monica Hess who won an award for Best Closing Argument. Congratulations, team! ⚖️✨

✨⚖️ Meet Brian Burns! He's a 2L mocker from Hightstown, New Jersey. After graduating from the University of California, Santa Cruz (go Banana Slugs!) as a film and digital media major, he worked in Los Angeles as a talent manager. Since coming to Emory Law, he's interned at the Fulton County Public Defender's office, and is a member of our William Daniel National Competition team. Welcome to the ELS Mock Trial family, Brian! ✨⚖️

✨⚖️ Congratulations to our National Civil Rights team! 2Ls Sara Sacks, Alaiya Kollie, Morgan McGee, and 3L Anna Chumley competed last weekend in Sacramento, California. Great job, team! ⚖️✨

✨⚖️ Meet Martin Berg! Martin is a 2L from Hindsdale, Illinois. He went to college at Rice University, where he majored in Engineering and Religious Studies. He even founded Rice University's undergrad mock trial team! His post-grad career goal is to be a public defender. Welcome to the ELS mock family, Martin! ⚖️✨

✨⚖️ Congratulations to our All-Star Mock Trial Team for receiving an Honorable Mention in their Regional competition! This past weekend teammates Martin Berg, Jordan Mahan, Madison Dodge, and Sauliha Mitchell won three out of their four rounds and received the highest score on nine ballots. Amazing job team! ⚖️✨

✨⚖️ Meet our next member of the Class of 2024 - Dani Bell! Coming from Bronx, New York, she majored in Legal Studies/Criminal Justice at St. John's University. In addition to being on ELS Mock Trial, Dani is Emory Law's Student Body Association's VP of Programming. She mocks to learn practical skills and become more comfortable with public speaking. Welcome to the team Dani, we're psyched to have you! ⚖️✨

✨⚖️ Meet All-Star Alum Christy Lambden! Christy, originally from Oxford, UK, hopped across the pond and joined us at Emory Law, graduating with honors in 2019. He is currently a personal injury lawyer at Bayuk Pratt, LLC. He also coaches ELS Mock Trial, and has gotten us a few awards 😏. We're luck to have you Christy! ⚖️ ✨

✨⚖️ Our first Meet The Mocker for class of 2024 - meet David Alden! Coming from Danville, Ohio, he graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Political Science. As well as being a member of our Mock Trial team, he's the Director of Programing for Emory Law's Criminal Law Society.

His favorite legal movie is My Cousin Vinny ("the correct answer" - David) and he wants to work in public interest law after graduation. Welcome to the team David, we're psyched to have you! ⚖️✨

✨⚖️ Meet All-Star Alumni Lauren Thrasher, Emory Law Class of 2015! She may be from New York, but she's a true Georgian now, having graduated from University of Georgia for undergrad (Go Dawgs!) and starting her own law firm in Atlanta. Her firm, Thrasher Law, LLC, specializes in trial level criminal defense work, mostly in major felonies. She is also a Program Director for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and an Adjunct Professor at Emory Law and Georgia State College of Law. She's a current coach on Emory Law's Mock Trial team, and we're lucky to have her! ⚖️ ✨

✨⚖️ Meet Katelyn Luong! Katelyn is a 3L, and our Director of Finances. As a graduate from University of Georgia, where she majored in Entomology, Katelyn has been a part of the Emory Law Mock Trial Society for over a year.

As well as being involved in Mock Trial, Katelyn is a member of APALSA (Asian Pacific American Law Student Association) and is involved in the Department of Justice's Domestic Violence/Labor Trafficking Initiatives in the Pacific Islands.

She mocks to improve her public speaking skills, gain trial experience, and be dramatic. Post-law school, Katelyn wants to be legal counsel for a government agency. We're so happy you're a part of the team, Katelyn! ⚖️✨

✨⚖️Meet All-Star Alum Kyle Nicole Obiora! Kyle is a 21L, and one of our most accomplished former mockers! After graduating from University of Louisville (during which she was crowned Miss Kentucky), she went on to rack up the awards and honors at Emory. She currently practices as an Assistant Public Defender at the Dekalb County Public Defender’s Office. ⚖️✨